DAYTON, OHIO – October 8, 2008 – The Reynolds and Reynolds Company today announced the launch of its automated Parts Barcoding Inventory Management solution for automotive dealerships using the ERA® dealership management system (DMS) in Canada. The comprehensive solution consists of an inventory management software application and a combined wireless handheld scanner and printer tool that helps dealerships more efficiently and accurately manage their parts inventory.

Alain Sabbah, Reynolds vice president of Sales in Canada, said, “As dealerships renew their focus on improving sales and efficiency in their fixed operations, the resulting time and cost savings from Parts Barcoding Inventory Management can help the parts department more easily adopt best practices for inventory management. The solution also will enable them to spend more time selling parts and to more easily conduct regular perpetual inventory audits to improve inventory accuracy throughout the year.”

Today, it is not uncommon for many dealerships to manually check in parts orders and conduct physical and perpetual inventories – an approach that is time consuming, error prone, and costly in terms of labor time. The Reynolds Parts Barcoding Inventory Management solution helps dealers automate the way they receive parts orders, take perpetual or periodic partial inventory audits, and perform annual physical inventories. As a result, the solution can help speed parts receiving time and help transform inventory audits into streamlined, continual processes for the parts department rather than disruptive, time-consuming events.

Reynolds’ research on the use of Parts Barcoding Inventory Management indicates parts orders can be scanned and updated into inventory more than 50 percent faster than manual data entry. As a result, parts are available for quicker sale to the service department or parts wholesale and retail customers. In addition, the solution provides parts managers with reports on parts inventory levels that show them precise information and help them better manage inventory.

“Reynolds Parts Barcoding Inventory Management has helped my dealership streamline parts receiving to a very simple and proficient process,” said Mark Griffin, parts manager for Parkview BMW in Toronto. “No more manually checking off each parts line or matching up packing slips and parts. Now, parts are scanned and immediately posted into the ERA DMS and ready for sale. I would say that this solution has saved us four hours per day – or 80 hours each month. That’s time we now can use to focus on selling parts rather than counting them.”

Jon Strawsburg, vice president of Product Planning at Reynolds, said, “We pride ourselves on delivering innovative software solutions to help dealerships improve their operations and profitability. The Parts Barcoding Inventory Management solution is another example of how we do just that to make business better for our customers.”

The Reynolds Parts Barcoding Inventory Management solution is now available in Canada (English). Interested dealerships can contact Reynolds at 1-877-792-7677 for more information.

About ReynoldsReynolds and Reynolds is the automotive industry’s largest and most trusted provider of automobile dealership software, services, and forms to help dealerships improve business results. In Canada, Reynolds is the dealership management system market leader and has operations in Mississauga, Ontario, and Montreal, Quebec. The company is headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, with major U.S. operations in Houston and College Station, Texas, and Celina, Ohio. (www.reyrey.com)